It Happened One Night
by LilacLadyUchiha
Summary: Aiko Tokugawa has a secret she just can't tell. If anyone were to find out all those close to her would perish. She must keep her secret to keep living. The only problem is...a certain shinobi is winning her over and she just can't help but trust him. But with so many falling for her, how can she let the others down without destroying their friendships?
1. A Shot in the Dark

-Time for the usual disclaimer-

I don't own Naruto or any of the characters present. Aiko and her family are mine but other than that all rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto

She crept slowly through the forest, careful not to give away her position. If she were to fail now everyone's sacrifices would be for nothing. A flash of a memory coursed through her, bringing only pain. She gasped and pushed the memory from her mind, continuing onward. The gates were in sight- she had only but to reach them and she would be safe from her past. Her mother's aunt resided within this village and with any luck she would give her sanctuary. Upon reaching the gate she saw two men seated in a designated look out area. She hesitantly approached them with hands up as in surrender. This was a ninja village after all and she was no ninja; she had to be careful. The eyed the young girl warily- the village had just begun to recover from Orochimaru's too had to be careful. she can't be more than 13* they thought collectively. Little did they know she was 16 and she had seen more of life than any 16 year old should. She told them the bare minimum to allow herself entry. After all, what village would welcome someone who was wanted by the most powerful criminals in the village hidden in the grass. Once they discovered that she was relatively harmless and had family in the village they decided to bring her to the hokage. Kotetsu stayed at the gate and Izumo took the girl to the hokage's mansion. When they got there they were ushered in to see Shizune because Lady Tsunade had been too busy for such a small matter. Shizune looked the girl up and down while the girl spilled out her story. *the girl appears normal enough...she's making appropriate eye contact and she doesn't look too scared or desperate...I guess it couldn't hurt too much to allow one more commoner into our village...she's only a girl after all* "Alright, if we can locate your great aunt and if she says she'll watch after you, you can stay" Shizune said with a smile. The girl launched herself out of her seat in excitement, almost hugging Shizune out of pure joy. The older shinobi chuckled to herself, happy to see at least one person with high spirits during such a sad time. Izumo returned to the gate as Shizune sent for someone to take the girl to her family. Seconds later a rather bored looking shinobi strolled into her office. "Do I really have to do this? I mean it will be such a drag" *i just wanted to watch clouds and play shogi today* "Shikamaru you will do as I order- it's not like it will take the whole day anyway" Shizune scolded. 'Sigh' "Fine...come with me" Shikamaru addressed the girl. When they were out on the street Shikamaru decided he should probably be nice to the girl, after all it wasn't her fault that he was called in on his day off. It was then that he realized he didn't even know her name. "So...I'm Shikamaru...you are...?" "Aiko Tokugawa, it's nice to meet you. And thank you for helping me find my aunt, I'm sorry that you were ordered to" she said with a small smile. *she's pretty when she smiles* Shikamaru quickly shook that thought from him mind and mumbled "it's no problem really" *this woman is more troublesome than I thought* The pair walked in silence for the remainder of the walk and quickly found themselves in front of a store that sold quilts and custom clothes. They walked through the door and were greeted by an elderly lady whose name they soon discovered to be Hikaru Takeda, Aiko's great aunt. Hikaru was startled to see the child in front of her. She had not seen her niece after her marriage and was sad to hear of her demise. Hikaru was a very kind woman and was happy to allow Aiko to stay with her. She sent Shikamaru away, and for this he was glad. He ran quickly to his favorite spot, watching the clouds as thoughts of a very troublesome girl flashed through his mind.


	2. A Curious Dream

Aiko collapsed onto her bed. Granny Hikaru, as her great aunt wished to be called, had led her upstairs shortly after she sent Shikamaru away. Granny lived above the sewing shop and had for many years. The room that Aiko was in had belonged to Granny Hikaru's daughter who had aspired to be a splendid ninja. Unfortunately, she had perished in battle long ago, leaving Granny by herself.

Granny smiled as she shut the door to Aiko's room. It was nice to have someone in the house again. Yet she just couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Aiko's story than she let on. She decided to let the girl sleep in the hopes that she would be more willing to talk when she was well rested.

Aiko had gotten to the village around 3:00 pm. It had taken a few hours to get interrogated and to find her aunt so she reasoned that it was about 7. She decided sleep was definitely in order and that she would find something to eat tomorrow. She dropped into a deep sleep within moments and her dreams took her to a place she recognized with fond memories. A small house just outside the limits of the village came into view. A woman was hanging clothes on a line, humming a tune as she went. A little girl, no more than 6 ran to her and wrapped her arms around the woman's legs. The woman scooped up the girl and spun her around. When she was about to put the child down a man ran into focus. He was yelling about getting the girl to the "secret hideout" and fast because "they" were coming. The woman ran with the child to a secluded area of the forest. A clearing lay just up ahead as a man's scream was heard close by. The woman focused her chakra to her feet for an extra burst of speed as they reached the entrance to the hideout. She crouched on the ground with the tall grass surrounding her. She took a necklace from around her neck and pushed it against a small rock. A hole in the ground quickly opened and the two rushed down a ladder into the darkness. When they reached the bottom the hole above them disappeared and torches lit up to show that there were in an underground hallway. The woman took the girls hand and pulled her along with her. They reached a room at the end and closed the door behind them. As the pair scanned the room they found maps, ninja weapons, and scrolls of many shapes and sizes. There was also a painting on the wall of a woman with piercing blue eyes and long lilac colored hair. Aiko gasped and jolted awake. The woman in that painting looked just like her. Where was that place...and who was that woman. She looked like Aiko's mother but that would mean that she was a ninja...and that her father did not die on a merchant trip. She noticed sunlight streaming through her window and decided that maybe she should tell Granny why she was really here. Maybe she could help her figure out the missing pieces in her past.

Aiko dressed quickly and stumbled down the hall to find Granny Hikaru at the stove. The older woman turned and smiled only to drop said smile when she saw the look on Aiko's face. She gestured the girl to sit down at the table and took a seat across from her. She poured them both tea and asked the girl what was on her mind. Aiko quickly rambled off her real story. She explained that her father had died when she was younger and that her mother had been killed recently by two ninja. She described the ninjas as wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them. Her mother didn't fight, Aiko explained. After all, she wasn't a ninja right? She wouldn't have stood a chance against the powerful ninjas. Aiko had been outside picking mushrooms when the men had entered their home. As her story progressed she dropped into a trance and began reliving the moment. She came back just in time to see the men kill her mother and ransack her home. She quickly hid when she heard one of the men say "Sasori-danna she isn't here. Why are we wasting our time looking for the girl anyway? It's not like she's a ninja, hn" She could tell the other man was getting frustrated as he said "Look brat, I hate waiting even more than you but we have to find this girl. Let's split up and check the area outside. Meet back here in 10 minutes. With that the door swung open and the two men ran out into the forest. Aiko seized her chance and ran into the house. Her mother lay on the ground, not moving. Aiko dropped to her knees and began to cry. She went to grab her mothers hand and noticed a note clasped within it. She opened and scanned it in haste, not wanting to be around when the two came back. The note explained that the two men were from the Akatsuki and that they were hired by criminals from the village hidden in the grass to bring Aiko to them. Aiko did not have time to finish the note as she heard footsteps behind her. She turned as gasped seeing one of the men behind her. He didn't look much older than her and bright blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. She looked on in fear as he approached her. He held his hand out to her and smiled. Aiko looked at him warily and took his hand lightly. He helped her to her feet and introduced himself. "I'm Deidara, hn. I'm assuming you're the one we're looking for. You don't look like someone who would be wanted by criminals, yeah. And you really are very pretty." Deidara began to consider letting the girl go. After all he wasn't a huge fan of being in the Akatsuki as he was forced into it. And it would be fun to see Sasori-danna get frustrated. He had just decided to let her leave when she spoke up. "H-hi. It's n-nice to meet you. P-please don't kill me. I'll do anything." He smirked realizing he could maybe use this to his advantage. "I'll let you go, yeah but on one condition. You owe me a favor the next time we meet, hn." She found this to be a strange request because she did not plan on meeting him again. Unless his partner found out and picked up the pursuit again. She nodded in agreement and he stepped aside, allowing her to run out the door. Her flashback ended as she was pulled from the trance. Granny Hikaru looked very troubled. She had not planned on having to explain the family history to this girl but alas she had no choice. Granny took Aiko's hands in hers and smiled grimly. "There's something I have to show you dear"


	3. A Strange Past

Granny Hikaru led Aiko to the middle of a hallway. She pulled a rope attached to the ceiling and pulled down a set of stairs. The pair ascended to a room that looked much like the one Aiko had seen in her dream. Granny Hikaru led her to a sheet on the wall. She pulled the sheet off to reveal an identical painting to the one Aiko had seen. Granny then pulled a chair away from the wall and told her to sit down. Aiko complied and Granny launched into a tale about an old family of ninja who had once been very powerful. They had helped to build the village hidden in the grass many years before but had lost favor shortly afterwards. Their kekkei genkai had become feared throughout the village and as a result they were shunned. They had no choice but to move to the village hidden in the leaves under the guise of being merchants to protect themselves. The family still produced ninjas in secret and had a secret headquarters underground. The bloodline trait had been honed in secret in the hopes that someone would be produced who could redeem the clan and bring them out of hiding. Unfortunately, the clan's numbers had dwindled until only one heir remained. The woman married a man from the village hidden in the grass and moved back into the shadow of the village. Her great aunt, the only relative still alive, disagreed with her choice and cut ties with the woman. Aiko listened patiently as the story came to a close and took a deep breath before asking "what exactly is the kekkei genkai?"

Shikamaru sank into the chair taking a sip of tea before diving into all the paperwork on his desk. He was responsible for determining the risk for missions so that Lady Tsunade could accurately decide which ninjas to send. He preferred this work to captaining actual missions because it didn't take as much energy to do. He got through half the stack before a lilac-haired lady invaded his thoughts. It was about time for a break so he thought he might go for a walk around the village to clear his head. He walked aimlessly and before he realized it he had ended up in front of a sewing shop. He shrugged and decided he might as well go in. Maybe Aiko would like a tour of the village or something.

Meanwhile, Granny Hikaru was still explaining the kekkei genkai. "It began as a jutsu that could make the user so invisible that even the Byakugan couldn't detect it. As time wore on it was manipulated into a jutsu that allowed the user to teleport between great distances making them virtually impossible to catch." "Why wasn't I trained as a ninja then? I could have protected my parents...I could have..." Aiko trailed off, close to tears. "My dear girl I can't speak with the utmost certainly but I know that your mother was not fond of the way the clan handled the jutsu. She probably wanted to protect you and allow you to live a normal life. She couldn't escape the truth though because those men came for you. She let herself be killed so that you could escape." Granny encompassed Aiko in a hug and told her that it wasn't her fault that her mother was killed. She tried to ease the pain but in her heart she knew it would make no difference. It was then that Aiko stood up and faced Granny Hikaru with a serious look on her face. The tears were all but disappeared and she had a look of calm about her, the look of a ninja. "Can you teach me to use our kekkei genkai? Can you make me a ninja?" Granny looked into her eyes and saw the determination of her daughter reflected back in them. Perhaps her daughter's legacy could live on in this child. "I can try. We'll start tomorrow though. For today I think you are emotionally exhausted enough." It was then that they heard the faint tinkling of the bell signaling a customer. They rushed downstairs to take the order but not before closing up the attic.

Deidara limped on, frustrated with his partner for injuring him. "I still can't believe you stabbed me in the leg Sasori-danna. She was only a girl, hn." "A girl she may be but she was the reason for our mission. Now we'll have to report to base and regroup to see where she might have gone. You're such a fool Deidara...you will pay with your life the next time you make me wait" And with that the pair inserted their rings into the stone that granted them access to their hideout. Deidara paused for a moment before entering. He couldn't help but feel like it had been worth it to let that girl go. The last thought he had before going underground was that he really would like to call in that favor with that beautiful lilac haired vixen.


	4. What is this Feeling?

Neji Hyuga was glad to see the gates of Konoha. It had been an easy mission, but a long one. Team Guy had been assigned an escort mission to Iwagakure. They had finished their mission early because they hadn't encountered the enemy of their target. It was supposed that the Akatsuki were after this man so the ninja had been on high alert. Their absence made it seem like that Akatsuki had something more pressing to handle than a simple assassination; which was just fine with Team Guy. The team reported to Lady Tsunade and quickly dispersed to rest in the comfort of their own homes. Neji walked slowly to the Hyuga compound. He was tired and he just wanted to enjoy the weather.

When Granny Hikaru and Aiko saw that it was Shikamaru in their shop they were surprised. The looks they were giving him made him feel really awkward. *maybe this wasn't such a good idea* "Uh hi...I was just walking around and I thought Aiko might like a tour of the village..." *why am I doing this...women are so troublesome...but for whatever reason I can't help but be curious...ughh what a drag* He was quickly pulled from his thoughts as Aiko walked up to him and smiled. "I'd love a tour, that would be great." A blush found its way to Shikamaru's face as he turned to walk out the door. Aiko bid Granny farewell and followed him out, curious to see where he would take her. Shikamaru took her around the village showing her the shops and the major landmarks in Konoha. Aiko couldn't stop smiling. Shikamaru kept making really funny comments about areas in the village. She could tell that he found a lot of things annoying but she was glad that she didn't seem to be one of them. Shikamaru couldn't believe how sweet the girl walking with him was. He felt comfortable around her and every time he would make a comment she would just smile and say "oh, we'll I'm sure they don't mean to be troublesome." Shikamaru soon found himself smiling. He couldn't help it..that smile made him melt. When they walked by a ramen stand Aiko's stomach growled. She realized she hadn't eaten all day. She rubbed the back of her head and gave Shikamaru a look. He knew he had to get back to work, even though he didn't want to. It was then that he got very lucky. He saw his friend Neji walking towards them and he hoped he could leave her with him.

Neji saw Ichiraku Ramen up ahead and decided that he would stop for dinner before heading back home. He saw Shikamaru with a girl up ahead and went to greet them. They exchanged pleasantries and Neji let his eyes wander to the girl hiding behind Shikamaru. Aiko had crept behind the lazy shinobi when Neji was approaching. He made her nervous and she really hoped he would leave soon. Neji eyes quickly refocused when Shikamaru spoke. "Hey uh I have to go back to work. Could you maybe stay with her and take her home?" Neji looked shocked because Shikamaru had never asked for anything before and Neji planned on staying there anyway so he nodded and bid Shikamaru a good day. Shikamaru disappeared and rushed to his office which left Neji and Aiko alone.

Aiko scowled, being upset that Shikamaru left her with this guy. Neji didn't seem to notice her change in mood as he showed her inside the restaurant. Aiko took a seat and ordered some ramen, keeping her eyes on the counter in front of her.

Neji couldn't help but stare at her. There was something eerily beautiful about the girl next to him. He wanted to know more about her and the silence was getting awkward so he struck up a conversation. "So how long have you been here?" Aiko looked at him, surprised that he was talking to her. She was quickly met with the most beautiful set of white eyes that set her guard. She found herself staring at this boy until he lightly touched her arm to bring her back to reality. The Hyuga couldn't figure out why this girl was staring at him. Her eyes were striking though and they made him want to stare right back at her. He immediately snapped himself out of it and mentally scolded himself. Neji touched her arm lightly and she blinked, "I just got here yesterday" she replied. "And my name is Aiko in case you're curious" "Neji Hyuga...it's... It's nice to meet you" *wait..did I just stutter? I sound like Hinata...* the rest of the dinner passed with the two making small talk about the village. Aiko found herself actually liking the shy shinobi. When the time came to pay, Neji paid for the both of them. "Think of it as a welcome to Konoha" he said with a small smile. By the time they left the ramen shop it was dark. They walked slowly, looking at the stars. While they walked the two of them kept stealing glances as one another. Their hands brushed against each other and they both blushed. Neji decided to take a risk and he grabbed her hand. She looked at him and smiled, happy to be there with him. When they got close to the sewing shop they dropped their hands to their sides. Neji wished her a good night and finally made his way home. He had a feeling that someone was watching them but he shook it off, sensing the presence disappear.

Shikamaru had just finished his work for the day and thought he might check up on Aiko before going home. Granny Aiko had said that she wasn't home yet so he waited on the roof, keeping an eye out for her. He saw Neji and her walking in the distance. He was going to meet up with them but he noticed that their hands were intertwined. A pang of jealousy tore through him as they came closer. He waited until Aiko went into the house and then he disappeared; rushing back to his house feeling oddly upset.


End file.
